Seed beads

Seed beads are the most commonly used type of glass beads, small glass beads, sometimes popularly called šmelc, which originated in the 15th century in Venice, Italy. They have been produced industrially in Bohemia since the 18th century. Round seed beads are produced using a unique technology of cutting glass tubes with a round or square hole into variously small pieces, which are then heat-rounded and polished and then sorted by size and shape.

Seed beads are produced in sizes from 1.4 mm to 8 mm, the size marking of Czech and Japanese beads is given in the traditional, so-called zero series. Common sizes are from the smallest 16/0 to the largest 1/0, while four large sizes 31/0, 32/0, 33/0 and 34/0, popularly called potatoes, are rare.

According to the degree of subsequent processing, seed beads are divided into so-called metallurgical and refined. While metallurgical seed beads are left in their pure glass form (Natural Opaque), refined seed beads are further surface decorated, for example by dyeing, galvanizing or other types of various decorations. You will always find them listed in the description Surface treatment.

We offer seed beads from the companies PRECIOSA ORNELA, MATSUNO, MATUBO, MIYUKI and TOHO.